RESOLVED:
That the Academic Senate of the California State University (ASCSU) adopt the positions on bills currently under consideration in the California Legislature as identified in the document titled Academic Senate of the California State University, Positions on Proposed Bills in the California State Legislature– 2016; and be it further

RESOLVED: That these adopted positions guide ASCSU advocacy activities during the 2016 legislative calendar; and be it further

RESOLVED: That if a change in the ASCSU position on a bill is warranted and, due to time or other constraints, consultation with the Academic Senate is not possible, the ASCSU Executive Committee is empowered to act on behalf of the Senate, in accordance with resolution AS-3148-13/FGA (Rev) (http://www.calstate.edu/AcadSen/Records/Resolutions/2013-2014/documents/3148.pdf) and the ASCSU Bylaws, while exercising due diligence in keeping the Academic Senate CSU informed of such actions; and be it further

RATIONALE: This resolution is part of the ASCSU Legislative advocacy strategy for 2016, based on the guidelines approved by the Senate in fall 2013. Its purpose is to assist the Academic Senate and its members to be effective and to respond quickly to proposed legislation during the key period of the legislative calendar (March-May). It is during this time that Legislative bills are heard in committee in their House of origin. Advocacy efforts to shape and influence bill development are likely to be most effective at this time.

Under the California state legislative calendar, proposed legislation is not introduced until late February. In the past, it has been the practice of ASCSU to establish its position on legislation by means of resolutions addressing individual bills, which limits the number of bills to which the Academic Senate can respond meaningfully. Moreover, as a result of our practice of first and second readings, Senate legislative positions frequently were not finalized until the May plenary under this approach. By that time, important discussion on the bills in the legislative committees has already occurred. This resolution establishes official ASCSU positions on a wide range of bills early in the legislative process in order to enable the Academic Senate to participate more effectively in bill development.